Astilbe plant named ‘Versred’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe  plant named ‘Versred’, characterized by its compact, broadly upright and mounding plant habit; strong and durable leaves; freely and uniformly flowering habit; red purple-colored flowers; and good container and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Astilbe arendsii×Astilbe japonica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘VERSRED’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe,botanically known as Astilbe arendsii×Astilbe japonica and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Versred’.

The new Astilbe plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Haarlem, The Netherlands. The objective ofthe breeding program was to create new uniform and freely floweringAstilbe plants with attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Astilbe plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2003 in Haarlem, The Netherlands, of an unnamed Astilbearendsii seedling selection, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with an unnamed Astilbe japonica seedling selection, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Astilbe plant wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant fromwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledgreenhouse environment in Haarlem, The Netherlands in 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Astilbe plant by in vitro propagation ina controlled environment in Honselersdijk, The Netherlands since thesummer of 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Astilbeplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Astilbe have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperatureand light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Versred’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Versred’ as a new and distinct Astilbe plant:

-   -   1. Compact, broadly upright and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Strong and durable leaves.    -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.    -   4. Red purple-colored flowers.    -   5. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Astilbe differ primarily from plants of the parentselections in plant height and flowering habit as plants of the newAstilbe are more compact and more freely flowering than plants of theparent selections.

Plants of the new Astilbe can be compared to plants of Astilbe arendsii‘Fanal’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Haarlem,The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe and ‘Fanal’ differed in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe were more compact than plants of        ‘Fanal’.    -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe had better container performance        than plants of ‘Fanal’.    -   3. Plants of the new Astilbe were more freely flowering than        plants of ‘Fanal’.    -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Astilbe and ‘Fanal’ differed        slightly in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Astilbe plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Astilbe plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Versred’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical inflorescences of ‘Versred’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view ofthe upper surface of typical leaves of ‘Versred’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the spring and early summer inan outdoor nursery in Hillegom, The Netherlands and under culturalpractices typical of commercial Astilbe production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 28° C.and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 18° C. Plants were threeyears old when the photographs and description were taken. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Astilbe arendsii×Astilbe japonica    ‘Versred’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed Astilbe arendsii seedling            selection, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed Astilbe japonica seedling            selection, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By divisions.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact,            broadly upright and mounding plant form with inflorescences            held above the foliar plane; flowering stems and leaves            basal; freely flowering with about 29 basal branches            developing per plant, dense and bushy; low vigor to            moderately vigorous growth habit; and freely and uniformly            flowering habit.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate; from divisions, about 20 weeks are            required to produce fully-grown flowering plants in            containers.        -   Plant height (soil level to top of foliar plane).—About 28            cm.        -   Plant height (soil level to top of inflorescences).—About            41.5 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 43.2 cm.        -   Stem description.—Length: About 26.7 cm. Diameter: About            2 mm. Internode length: About 8.4 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 143C.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; biternately compound; about nine            leaflets per leaf.        -   Leaf length (excluding petiole).—About 11.8 cm.        -   Leaf width.—About 10.7 cm.        -   Lateral leaflet length.—About 3.8 cm.        -   Lateral leaflet width.—About 2.3 cm.        -   Terminal leaflet length.—About 4.6 cm.        -   Terminal leaflet width.—About 2.9 cm.        -   Lateral and terminal leaflet shape.—Ovate to broadly ovate.        -   Lateral and terminal leaflet apex.—Acute.        -   Lateral and terminal leaflet base.—Cuneate to obtuse.        -   Lateral and terminal leaflet margin.—Biserrate.        -   Lateral and terminal leaflet texture, upper and lower            surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent; moderately rugose.        -   Lateral and terminal leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Lateral and terminal leaflet color.—Developing leaflets,            upper surface: Close to N137C. Developing leaflets, lower            surface: Close to 137B to 137C. Fully expanded leaflets,            upper surface: Close to N137A and N137B; venation, close to            144A to 144B. Fully expanded leaflets, lower surface: Close            to 137C; venation, close to 147C.        -   Leaf petiole length.—About 9.5 cm.        -   Leaf petiole diameter.—About 1 mm.        -   Leaflet petiole length.—About 9 mm.        -   Leaflet petiole width.—About 0.75 mm.        -   Leaf and leaflet petiole texture, upper and lower            surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Leaf and leaflet petiole color, upper and lower            surfaces.—Close to 144B to 144C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single rotate flowers            arrange on terminal branched compound racemes; flowers face            upright, outward or downward depending on position on the            inflorescence; racemes roughly conical in shape; freely and            uniformly flowering habit with about 600 flowers per            inflorescence.        -   Fragrance.—Moderately faint; somewhat sweet.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten            months after planting; continuously flowering from early to            late summer in The Netherlands.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the            plant; flowers persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Shape: Broadly elliptic. Color: Close to 61C.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 9.1 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 6.5 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm.        -   Flower depth.—About 2.5 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl. Length: About 2.5 mm. Lobe width: About 0.5 mm.            Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 64B.            Fully expanded petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            64B; color becoming lighter than 71D with development.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl, fused towards the base; campanulate-shaped calyx.            Length: About 1.5 mm. Width: About 0.7 mm. Shape: Ovate.            Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing            sepals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A tinged with            close to 60B to 60C. Fully expanded sepals, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 75D; towards the apex and margins, close            to 61B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 8.8 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: Close to 146C; towards the apex, strongly tinged with            close to 185D.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.4 mm.            Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 61B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            ten; anthers basifixed. Filament length: About 1 mm.            Filament color: Close to 64B. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther            length: About 0.3 mm. Anther color: Close to 62B. Pollen            amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 155D. Pistils:            Quantity per flower: Two. Pistil length: About 0.2 mm.            Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 61A. Style            length: About 0.1 mm. Style color: Close to 61B. Ovary            color: Close to 61B.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Astilbe.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Astilbe have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe    plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and high    temperatures of about 35° C. Plants of the new Astilbe have been    observed to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5.

1. A new and distinct Astilbe plant named ‘Versred’ as illustrated anddescribed.